Air deaft and smoke consumer



Filed June 22, 1936 OM00 QM INVENTQR l l/llam B. H/Ckman,

ATTORN EY.

Patented Jan. 4, 1938 PATENT OFFICE AIR DRAFT AND SMOKE CONSUMER William B. Hickman, Kansas City, Mo.

Application June 22,

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to heating ap paratus, and aims to provide an improved heater or stove construction for more efiicient combustion of the fuel used, as well as for a more effective operation of such apparatus for roomheating purposes.

Accordingly I have devised a heater construction in which an improved draft provision is made for the supply of the necessary air for supporting combustion, wherein such air is supplied not only at the most efficient points for combustion purposes, but is admitted evenly or uniformly to all parts of the combustion zone.

The improved construction further comprises an efiicient means for retarding the movement of the gases and fumes from the combustion zone for the purpose of effecting a more nearly complete combustion, and also of retaining the hot products of combustion within the heater body for a longer period, and thereby prolonging the room-heating effect of the apparatus. The construction which I have devised for this retarding means comprises preferably a movable portion, and a further feature of the invention is the provision of means operated by the opening of p o embodying the proposed improvement, after Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view, representing a section taken on the line 2--2 of Figure 1; and

Figure'3 is a vertical sectional view, representing a section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, the improved construction is illustrated therein as comprising a base member 5 for the ash pit and provided with a door 6 for access thereto and removal of the ash pan 1 (see Figure 1). Over the base member 5 is mounted a fire pot member 8 providing a chamber ID for the fuel and 1936.'Serial No. 86,488

containing the grate structure l2 at the bottom of said chamber. The top rim ofthe fire pot member is formed with a marginal flange l4 surrounding a seat I5 for supporting a heating drum l6 forming the stove body and having the top portion I! provided with a flue outlet l8, as shown in Figure 1. The bottom portion of the drum I6 is perforated to provide a series of airinlet openings 2B,see Figures 1 and 3.

The lower front portion of the drum or stove body I 6 is formed with a door opening 2| provided with a hinged door 22, for the supply of fuel to the chamber Ill, and within the lower portion of said drum, that is, opposite said door 22, I provide a downwardly tapered or invertedcone-shaped deflector structure comprising two segments 24 of approximately equal size bolted together as indicated at 25, and a third segment 26 carried by a pivot pin or bolt 21 secured to the lower edge of said segment 26 and mounted in bearing lugs 28 near the lower ends of the segments 24. V

The lower portion of the deflector is substantially ring-shaped as indicated at 29; and the mits'it to be readily assembled within the drum where the deflector is secured by means of bolts or the like 30, whereby its upper flange margin 2! is attached to the interior of the drum.

The pivoted segment 26 is sufliciently wide to overlap the adjacent edges of the segments 24, and the pivotal mounting of the segment 26 is for the purpose of providing ample clearance for the feeding of fuel through the opening 2i into the fire chamber l0. Accordingly I provide connections between the door 22 and said pivoted segment 26 for causing the latter to automatically swing inward upon its pivot pin 21, whenever the door is opened. These connections comprise a short crank member 33 fixed to the pin 21, and a link 34 formed with loops at its opposite ends for pivotally connecting the link to said crank member and also to a lug 35 projecting inwardly from the inner face of the door 22, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.

For the automatic control of the air admitted for draft purposes through the ash pit to the under side of the grate I2, I provide an improved thermostat control comprising a thermostat-element 38 connected with one end of a lever 39 which is fulcrumed at 40 and has its other end connectedwith a draft damper 42 mounted at the side of the base member 5 and controlling the admission of air to the ash pit. For regulating purposes, the several parts of said autosectional structure of the deflector member permatic control are shown as capable of adjustment, the element 38 and lever 39 being each adjustably mounted on supporting rods 44 and held by means of set screws d5, whereas the connection between said lever and the damper 42 is by means of a link 41 having an adjustable screw connection 48 with one end of the lever 39.

With the foregoing construction, the deflector member provides means for trapping the smoke and gases or fumes in the space around and beneath the deflector member, and thus retarding the flow of mingled smoke and fumes until a more complete combustion of the same has been effected and before the continued fiow of the products of combustion takes place upward through the outlet provided by the central opening through the ring-shaped lower end 28 of the deflector structure,all as represented by the arrows shown in Figure 1. While a part of the air supporting combustion is supplied through the base member, an improved method of supplying the necessary air is provided by the series of air intake openings 28 entirely surrounding the fire bowl just above the level of the burning fuel, whereby an even draft is aiforded for maintaining uniform combustion at all points of the fire level.

Since the movement of the gases, smoke and other products of combustion is retarded and caused to remain within the zone of highest temperature for that much longer a period, it is apparent that not only does a more complete and efficient combustion take place, but a correspondingly longer period is also afforded for heating purposes and radiation of the heat to the air in the vicinity of the stove before the smoke and fumes can finally escape from the upper portion of the drum by way of the flue outlet it.

When necessary to add fuel to the fire chamber, the opening of the door 22 operates through the described connections to automatically swing the segment 26 of the deflector inward toward the center of the stove, as represented by the dotter lines in Figure 1, and thus provides ample clearance for the fueling operation, and at the same time prevents any appreciable amount of smoke or fumes from escaping into the room; after which the closing of the door also forces said swinging deflector section to return to its original position as illustrated by the full lines in the drawing.

The thermostatic control structure herein described further provides an emcient method of regulating the draft through the base member to the bottom of the fire bowl, to maintain a uniform operation of the stove. As the temperature falls around the stove, the thermostatic element opens the damper to a greater extent to admit more air, while a rise in temperature produces a corresponding closing movement of said damper, and the several adjustments afforded by means of the set screws .45 and 4% enable the control to be set to suit the requirements of the particular apparatus and operating conditions.

I have found that with an apparatus as above described, not only is an even heat produced but also that there is a marked efiiciency in its combustion operation, producing a light ash and no cinders from an average grade of fuel, from which facts and also the fact that but little smoke results from the operation of the stove it appears that the improved construction is such as to provide a more uniform and effective supply of air for supporting the combustion as well as a greater opportunity for more nearly complete combustion of all the fuel; this in addition to the advantages resulting from the retarding of the escape of the heated products of combustion and thereby prolonging their heating effect upon the surrounding air of the room.

While I have illustrated and described what I now regard as the preferred form of construction for embodying and practicing the invention, it is apparent that various changes are possible within the principle of the same; for example, the improvement may be embodied in a furnace construction as well as in the form of a room heater as shown, with corresponding benefits as regards efficiency of operation. I therefore desire to be understood as reserving the right to make such changes and modifications may fairly fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What I ciaim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

-l. A heater construction comprising a fire chamber,a heater drum mounted over said chambeer and provided with a fire door, a deflector member of substantially inverted-cone shape within the lower portion of said drum and having a central opening for the escape of fumes and gases to the upper portion of the drum, said deflector member having a movable section opposite said door, and connections between said door and movable section of the deflector member operated by opening of the door for swinging the section inward away from the door.

2. A heater construction comprising a fire chamber, a; heater drum mounted over said chamber and provided with a fire door, a deflector member of substantially inverted-cone shape within the lower portion of said drum and having a central opening for the escape of fumes and gases to the upper portion of the drum, said deflector member having a movable section mounted opposite said door upon a pivot adjacent said central opening, and connections between said door and movable section operated by opening of the door for swinging said deflector section inward away from said door.

WILLIAM B. HICKMAN. 

